The present invention refers to a device for applying a fluid medium onto the surface of an article, particularly for applying a moisture-sensitive primer for adhesive joints, comprising a moisture- and air-tight container for receiving the fluid medium, said container having a central longitudinal axis and being provided with a fluid application assembly.
It is well known in the art that fluid media based on organic compounds, e.g. primer liquids for adhesive joints, change their chemical structure under the influence of atmospheric moisture, i.e. particularly they cure. Thus, such liquids must be stored in air- and moisture-tight containers. As a rule, only metallic containers are suitable for this purpose, unlike containers made of plastic material which are not in a position to meet all these requirements, particularly if the container must be stored during a long period of time.
To be used, i.e. to be applied to an article, these liquids are filled from the more or less large metallic storage containers in a small application container whose outlet opening is provided with a fluid application assembly, e.g. in the shape of a felt stopper. If the content of this application container is immediately and completely used, the application container may be made of plastic material without disadvantages.
In certain kinds of applications, particularly if only a small amount of the liquid is to be used, it has been shown that the previously mentioned bottling, i.e. the filling of small plastic containers from large metallic storage containers, is impractical, complicated and time-consuming.
A solution well known in the art is constituted by the so-called applicator pens in which the liquid is fed in predetermined amounts from a stock chamber to an application assembly by means of a dosing element. In this applicator pen, the application of the liquid onto an article is accomplished by means of a dosing piston with pumping movements with the result that it is not possible to get an even layer of the liquid on the surface of the article because the application of the liquid is discontinuous. Furthermore, the handling of such a device is complicated and awkward. Finally, such an applicator pen is not suitable to be designed as a disposable which is used only once but should be stored for a long period of time.